Five Favorite Personalized Plates From Last Year’s Mustang Week

Spring is in the air, and soon the glorious sounds of rumbling Mustang exhausts will serenade Galveston, Texas, and the surrounding areas as Mustang Week Texas kicks off the first of two Mustang Week extravaganzas this year. Before the action heats up in the Lone Star state, however, we thought it would be a great time to look back on last year’s Mustang Week in the Carolinas.

As we patrol these shows, covering each event throughout the week, it is always entertaining to see the custom license plates. Most are real, some are replicas, but they are all fun. Some are on the nose in describing the car they adorn, but others take a more creative approach to the limited license plate real estate. The creative expressions are the ones that really caught our attention on the Grand Strand, so we are sharing five favorites to get you warmed up for another Mustang Week run this year…

5. VNLA ICE

Every era has music that captures the vibe of that time, and in 1990, at the height of the 5.0 Mustang era, Vanilla Ice spit out the lyrics to Ice Ice Baby that still ring in the hearts of Mustang fans from back in the day: “Rollin’ in my 5.0. With the ragtop down, so my hair can blow…” No one called them Foxes back then or zoomorphismized them with that body nomenclature. They were just 5.0 Mustangs, and the Mustang GT convertible from the music video — that the rapper still owns — is iconic in its nostalgia. So, when we saw this “VNLA ICE” plate on a white Fox, it warmed this scribe’s Gen X heart.

4. RELAP$E

As much as we love our cars, those in our circles might consider them an addiction. There are certainly worse things to make a habit, but who among us hasn’t considered quitting a frustrating project car before breaking down to live that “old habits die hard” mantra. We aren’t sure what this owner had in mind with “RELAP$E,” but that dollar sign certainly summed up the feeling of falling back into a money pit project car that we just can’t quit.

3. TRMIN8R

Most of the personalized plate slogans we spotted were understandably directly related to the vehicles they adorned. That said, some of them were executed with more wit or creativity than others. When it comes to factory vehicle code names, the 2003-2004 SVT Mustang Cobra set the standard with its internal nomenclature: Terminator. It summed up the aggressive nature of the 390-horsepower snake that set the stage for the Mustang’s future with a supercharger, a six-speed manual, and an independent rear suspension right off the assembly line. Something about “TRMIN8R” gave this author all the nostalgic vibes for that era.

2. SUSPECT

When it comes to owning a performance vehicle, there is no doubt that you are a bit of an outlaw. Whether it is the elevated sound of the exhaust, the potential for exceeding the speed limit, or the flashy lines of the body, a fast Mustang often becomes a target for The Man. Even if you are innocently commuting, a fast Mustang is the first car that’s going to feel the unwanted gaze of a radar gun, and this tag really captured that spirit of always being a “SUSPECT.” Even if the minivan in the other lane was going faster, a pony car pilot must exhibit the best behaviour.

1. S1D3CHK

Like having a car as an addiction, a project vehicle can serve as a distraction from the real world. When it comes to having a secondary relationship, a vehicle is a pretty safe option. Many spouses will joke that the car is the other woman, and it might just be a more expensive option. However, calling the car a sidechick, a.k.a. S1D3CHK, certainly gave this writer a chuckle. Now, it is possible this car was owned by the other woman, but we prefer to think the car itself is the other object of the owner’s affection.

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As you can see, Mustang fans are a clever bunch, and many have a great sense of humor. After all, if you aren’t enjoying yourself with cars, you might be in the wrong hobby. That said, if you didn’t care for our selections, you can check out the expansive gallery above to see more of the personalized plates we spotted last September. And, if you have spotted any good ones out there in the wild, feel free to email us a photo, as it could lead to another story.